Table coasters with wobble stop



Nov. 8, 1960 A. .1. MATTER TABLE COASTERS WITH WOBBLE STOP Filed Dec. 20, 1957 zzvvmron MW? M United States Patent TABLE COASTERS WITH WOBBLE STOP Albert J. Matter, 101 N. State St., Merrill, Wis. Filed Dec. 20, 1957, Ser. No. 704,191

6 Claims. (Cl. 45-139) In my Patent No. 2,682,131, I have disclosed an automatic table leg adjuster which automatically stops table wobble when moved over an irregular floor.

For universal use in homes it is desirable that these may be used to support tables having legs at various angles and equipped with glides of various diameters. These glides are usually very difficult for the average home owner to remove and replace with my aforesaid table leg adjuster and in most cases would require a special attaching means to hold said adjuster in place.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a set of coasters, one of which contains an automatic table leg adjuster, and so designed as to permit setting the table legs in sockets in the said coasters and thereby prevent table wobble.

Another object is to provide means of a single form or size for the purpose of stopping wobble of any type of table having legs made of wood or tubular metal, and with or without glides of various shapes and sizes.

Another object is to provide a set of four coasters similar in appearance and adapted to stop table wobble.

I attain these objects by means of the improvements shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a coaster provided with an automatic wobble stopper of the type disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,682,131, and shown in this view in outline only. It is shown in more detail in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

Fig. 3 shows a matching coaster Without a wobble stopper but provided with a bottom cup-shaped member in place thereof. This is shown in cross-sectional elevation.

Fig. 4 is an illustration similar to Fig. 1 with a friction disc 3 shown in place of rib 1b and the leg L shown vertical with the glide G shown in full contact with the friction disc.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, numeral 1 indicates a coaster having a cup-shaped recess 1a. At the bottom of this recess is a circular rib 1b and hole 1c.

At 2 is shown a wobble-stopper, such as is described in Patent No. 2,682,131 and referred to therein as an automatic table leg adjuster. In this view in Fig. 1 it is shown in outline only whereas Fig. 2 shows more detail. The wobble stopper has a center stud which passes through the aforesaid hole and is riveted in place as shown at 2a.

In operation it is desirable that the upper half of the wobble stopper be held from turning whereas the lower half or bottom thereof turns, accomplishes its raising and lowering as it is moved across the floor, and thereby provides a four point, wobble-stopping support for the table legs.

The function of rib 1b is to prevent turning of the 2,958,978 Patented Nov. 8, 1960 coaster as it provides a frictional contact near the outer surface of a table leg L or attached glide G as indicated. If preferred, friction can be provided by means of a friction disc of fiber or other material as shown at 3 in Fig. 4-. It will be noted that in this view the wobble-stopper is shown in greater detail.

In Figs. 1 and 4 the wobble-stopper is shown expanded as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the aforesaid patent. When compressed it recedes into the coaster top section so that the bottom of the wobble-stopper is nearly flush with the bottom of the coaster.

In Fig. 3 is shown a coaster top 1 with cup-shaped recess 1a and rib 1b. This is shown similar to the coaster top shown in Fig. 1 in order to appear alike and facilitate manufacture. 4 indicates a cup shaped bottom which is press-fitted into coaster top 1 to provide a set of four, alike in appearance.

In use I provide a set consisting of three coasters without wobble-stopping means, and a matching coaster provided with a wobble-stopper, all adapted to support the four legs of a table when the leg bottoms or glides are set in the cup-shaped top portion of the coasters as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the wobble-stopper 2 extends below the bottom of the coaster cover when said wobble-stopper is expanded, and as is shown in Fig. 3 the bottom member 3 extends about half as far below the bottom edge of the coaster cover. This is necessary in order to provide for compression and expansion of the wobble-stopper 2 so that its bottom may automatically raise and lower an equal distance above and below the normal level of the other three coaster bottoms.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an automatic table-leg adjusting unit that includes a device comprising a shoe member and a base member above the latter, the base member being adapted to be attached, as by a rivet, to the under side of a coaster part to be supported and the shoe member being rotatable and vertically moveable with respect to the base member by means of helically inclined cooperating surfaces on said shoe and base members, thereby to vary the vertical dimension of the device according to variations in the relative angular positions of said members: of a coaster consisting of a cup-shaped member attached to said base member and having means for frictionally preventing rotation of said cup-shaped member and said base member when the aforesaid shoe member is rotated.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cup-shaped member has a depending skirt surrounding said table leg adjusting unit.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cup-shaped member is provided with a friction surface integral with the upper surface of its bottom.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cup-shaped member is provided with a friction surface integral with the upper surface of its bottom.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein a friction disc is provided within said cup-shaped member.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein a friction disc is provided within said cup-shaped member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,332,605 Child Mar. 2, 1920 1,402,998 Anderson Jan. 10, 1922 1,655,611 Jensen Jan. 10, 1928 2,682,131 Matter June 29, 1954 

